Report Card on the Alberta Bioenergy
Producer Credit Program
Impacts on Biofuel Capacity, Environmental
Improvements and Economic Multipliers
Prepared by Viresco Solutions Inc.
September 2015
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11,331,083 tonnes GHG emission reductions extends across all sectors. The Cars-off-road value stems from liquid
fuels, the homes powered stems from electricity projects, and the homes heated stems from heat projects. 84%
less emissions are emitted from the bioenergy projects compared to equivalent conventional energy sources.
Disclaimer: This report was commissioned by the Alberta Bioenergy Producers Group (ABPG). Research
assistance and funding for the project was managed by Western Canada Biodiesel Association. For further
information regarding the ABPG, please contact: Doug Hooper, Director Policy & Regulation, Western
Canada Biodiesel Association ([email protected]).
This report and the material featured herein are provided “as is” for information purposes. All reasonable
precautions have been taken by Viresco Solutions to verify the reliability of the material featured herein.
Viresco Solutions and its staff do not provide any warranty, including as to the accuracy, completeness, or
fitness for any particular purpose or use of such material, and they accept no responsibility or liability with
regard to the use of this report and the material herein. The information contained herein does not
necessarily represent the views of the staff of Viresco Solutions, nor is it an endorsement of any project,
product, or service provider.
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 3
Executive Summary
This report evaluates the status of Alberta’s bioenergy sector under the Bioenergy Producer Credit
Program (BPCP) and affiliated programs between January 2007 and December 2014 and presents the
performance of the qualifying bioenergy facilities. Bioenergy producers qualifying under the BPCP and
associated programs in the sectors of liquid biofuels, biogas, wood pellets, and biomass combustion were
contacted with a data request template, and the results of this engagement are presented below.
Key Aggregated Findings:

Since January 2007, 11,331,083 tonnes of CO2 equivalents have been saved through the use of
the bioenergy products compared to an equivalent conventional fossil fuel.

Bioenergy products are an average of 84% less carbon intensive than the equivalent fossil fuel.

Currently the total capital investment in BPCP qualifying facilities exceeds $600 million, which
would have required 2935 person-years of labour. The survey identified planned investments
into new bioenergy facilities of almost $800 million, which would require 2767 person-year
construction jobs.

Annual bioenergy production supports 5,280 person-years of direct and indirect employment.
Future expansions would support an additional 590 jobs per year in their operational phases. This
equates to a $376M and $48M injection, respectively, of labour income into Alberta communities.
Key Take-Away Points:

The bioenergy industry in Alberta is a nearly $2 billion industry, requiring more than five thousand
jobs in the operational phase directly and indirectly, with an impact of more than $300 million on
labour income and a nearly $800 million impact on provincial GDP

Bioenergy production is substantially less carbon intensive than equivalent conventional fossil
fuels. Bioenergy production assets are often not operating at full capacity. Existing and new
bioenergy plants can play a larger role in meeting the Provincial emissions reductions targets,
provided appropriate economic and market-access conditions are in place.

Bioenergy facilities are often located in forestry communities or agricultural-based communities,
and thus most bioenergy jobs support rural economies. Bioenergy facilities can also stabilize local
electricity grids by adding additional capacity at times of peak demand.
Many producers reported intentions to diversify into other bioenergy production. Planned
expansions result in the vertical integration of biomass supply chains and improve resiliency of
the business model.
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 4
Introduction
Alberta’s bioenergy sector produces clean, renewable biofuels, biogas, wood pellets and biomass-based
heat and power. The bioenergy sector has expanded rapidly under the ‘9-Point Bioenergy Plan’ (the
‘Bioenergy Plan’), launched by the Government of Alberta in October 2006. While bioenergy production
has strengthened the forest and agricultural-based communities in Alberta, the sector’s contribution to
economic diversification and low carbon energy pathways and clean energy has gone relatively unnoticed
compared to the non-renewable energy sectors. This report was commissioned by the Alberta Bioenergy
Producers Group to evaluate the status of Alberta’s bioenergy sector and report on its performance over
the period 2007 to 20142.
Just as Alberta is rich in fossil fuel resources, so too is the province rich in renewable feedstocks for
bioenergy production: more than 22,530,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste, agricultural residues, and
forestry residues are available across the province that could be converted into biofuels 3. Bioenergy
production in the province fits into four broad categories: liquid biofuels such as ethanol or biodiesel,
biogas (bio-methane, or renewable natural gas), wood pellets, and biomass to combined heat and power
(CHP). Bioenergy production is often integrated into primary agriculture, agri-food processing and forestry
(pulp & paper, sawmill) industrial processes. The addition of bioenergy production provides economic
resiliency for these sectors by diversifying revenue streams from value-added co-products, residues or
process wastes. Some bioenergy refineries are ‘stand-alone’ facilities, using Alberta grown crops, forest
fibre or municipal wastes as feedstocks. Alberta-based plants have commercialized leading ‘advanced
biofuel’ and ‘waste-to-energy’ technologies to produce liquid biofuels, bio-products and bio-chemicals.
The potential to expand bioenergy capacity across all platforms, with established resources and
feedstocks, was evaluated at many of Alberta’s existing bioenergy plants. Provided appropriate economic
and market-access conditions are in place, new bioenergy production capacity is poised to attract new
investment. Expanding bioenergy production will provide resiliency within various energy sectors,
diversify the provincial economy, and help the Province meet its climate action goals. However, many
potential bioenergy solutions struggle to reach commercial-scale production, due to lack of access to
capital, regulatory and market access barriers, and low energy prices. Furthermore the bioenergy industry
is in a relatively early stage of industry development. Materials that were traditionally considered waste
are now being used in novel applications, moving towards second and third generation technology that
2
All data collected throughout this report references the time period January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2014.
Identification of Opportunities for the Production of Bio-Products from Waste Bio-Mass in Alberta: Final Report.
Prepared by Jacobs Consultancy and the University of Alberta, March 2013. PDF, 213 pages.
3
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 5
captures energy and fractionates materials in a new hierarchy of use and value.
development surrounding these innovative systems are ongoing.
Research and
One of the Province’s key mechanisms to support bioenergy sector development has been the Bioenergy
Credit Producer Program (BPCP), along with the companion programs of the Bioenergy Plan. The BPCP
was implemented in 2011. The purpose of this report is to evaluate the status of the Alberta bioenergy
sector and the results of the sector’s performance since implementation of the Bioenergy Plan in 2006 to
present. This report presents the results of aggregated producer data, discusses the environmental and
economic benefits of this sector, and contemplates the future of bioenergy in the province of Alberta.
Project Purpose: Survey bioenergy producers and,
using project based data and publicly available
sources, quantitatively describe the impact of the
Bioenergy Producer Credit Program.
Desired Outcomes: Use the collected data to
report on capacity, greenhouse gas impacts,
investments (capital leverage), jobs, and other
economic impacts of the bioenergy sector.
Bioenergy Credit Producer Program Overview
The Bioenergy Producer Credit Program
The BPCP program is intended to encourage investment in bioenergy production capacity in Alberta. The
program is administered by Alberta Energy and is effective from April 2011 to March 2016. In the 2013
Provincial budget, it was announced that the program was closed to further applications and would
terminate in 2016. The first year of the program (2011/2012) had a budget allocation of $58 million, while
subsequent years increased to $108 million and $170 million, respectively (BPCP allotments were set out
in each annual provincial budget). Actual program spending beyond the first fiscal period (2011-2012) has
not been released. The final BPCP budget allocations and expenditures for each program year are set out
in Table 1 below:
Table 1: BPCP Program Grant Allocations and Payments, as of April 2014. Data beyond Year One of payments was unavailable at
the time of writing.
1: Liquid Biofuels
2: Biogas
3: Wood Pellets
4: Biomass Combustion
TOTAL
Total 5-Year Grant Obligation
$149,716,068
$37,683,256
$10,377,500
$172,639,460
$370,416,284
Actual Payments 2011/12
$4,501,287
$3,252,524
$1,481,483
$31,597,273
$40,832,567
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 6
Bioenergy producers who were already producing, or who would be producing by the second year of the
BPCP program, applied during an annual call period specified by Alberta Energy. The BPCP program only
accepted applications during two calls in 2011, before closing the program to new applicants4. In the
application process, bioenergy producers commit to a certain quantity of production, which determines
their eligibility for financial support (on a volume, tonne, GJ, or MWh basis). Bioenergy production was
divided into four programs: liquid biofuels, biogas, wood pellets, and biomass combined heat and power.
Alberta Bioenergy Plan
In October 2006, the Province announced a ‘9-Point Bioenergy Plan’, of which the BPCP is a component5.
The objectives of the original Bioenergy Plan were to stimulate bioenergy development in Alberta
(especially ethanol, biodiesel, and biogas capacity). The Bioenergy Plan encompassed new program
initiatives and policy resolutions to help with market access and stability. The Bioenergy plan was
necessarily a cross-ministry plan that was developed in consultation with suppliers, processors and end
users. Bioenergy was seen as the first step in a much larger bio-economy vision of creating high value
products through a bio-refining approach to agriculture and forestry biomass, integrated with the energy
sector. The development of the infrastructure was seen as a means to add value to the agriculture
industry and contribute to long-term sustainable economic growth, while strengthening rural
communities.
Other components of this plan included two related capital grant programs: the Bioenergy
Commercialization and Market Development Program (BCMDP), and the Bioenergy Infrastructure
Development Program (BIDP). In addition, the province directs funding to bioenergy research and
development and project development through the Alberta Innovates organizations 6 and the Climate
Change Emissions Management Corporation7 funding. Under the Climate Change Emissions Management
Act (CCEMA), and the Specified Gas Emitters Regulation8 (SGER), the Province also established a number
of climate action measures which impacted the bioenergy sector; these include: carbon pricing,
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction requirement (12%), renewable fuels standards (RFS), a Climate
Change and Emissions Management Fund, and carbon emission performance credits and offsets.
4
Alberta Energy:
http://www.energy.alberta.ca/BioEnergy/pdfs/Call_1_and_2_Grant_Recipients_and_Amounts_April_2014.pdf
5
For more information, please see Alberta Energy: http://www.energy.gov.ab.ca/pdfs/BioE9pointPlan.pdf
6
Relevant organizations include Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions (http://bio.albertainnovates.ca/) and Alberta
Innovates Energy and Environment Solutions (http://www.ai-ees.ca/).
7
Climate Change Emissions Management Corporation website: http://ccemc.ca/
8
The regulation is available at: http://www.qp.alberta.ca/documents/Regs/2004_251.pdf
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The two companion programs, BCMDP, BIDP, supported many of the BPCP program recipients in
undertaking market research and development activities, infrastructure and project capital costs. The
2006 Bioenergy Plan also included a renewable energy producer credit program that expired in 2011, and
six other ‘proposed policy initiatives.’ The original renewable energy credit program was not well utilized,
as most liquid biofuel and biogas projects were still in development stage. The proposed policy initiatives
included policy revisions, taxation instruments, market targets, and a bio-industrial network
development. Both the BCMDP and BIDP programs were closed in 2009. The BPCP program added
additional support in 2011 for the production of biomass based heat and power. As noted above, the BPCP
closed applications in 2011 and is set to expire on March 31, 2016. As the BPCP program was the primary
economic measure impacting Alberta’s bioenergy producers over the 2007 – 2014 period, it is the primary
focus of this report.
Looking forward, the Government of Alberta is in the process of reviewing and renewing commitments to
renewable and alternative energy production in the province. In June 2015, Minister Phillips renewed the
Specified Gas Emitters Regulation, increasing the stringency of the targets and the price of carbon for the
years 2016 and 2017. At the time of writing, consultations with respect to the climate change strategy
were ongoing. A new energy and climate change policy framework presents a key opportunity to build
off the success of the Bioenergy Plan, by defining a new comprehensive bioenergy strategy for the
province.
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 8
BPCP Programs and Products:
Table 2: Bioenergy Producer Credit Program: Eligible Bioenergy Production Types9
9
Program 1: Liquid Biofuels
The liquid biofuels program includes renewable
diesel, pyrolysis oil, ethanol, methanol, and other
renewable fuel alcohols from feedstocks that may
or may not include cereal grains. Ethanol and
other renewable fuel alcohols, renewable diesel
and pyrolysis oil must be certified to meet fuelgrade ASTM or Canadian General Standards
Board specifications in order to be eligible. The
local production of liquid biofuels can contribute
to the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS)
requirement to blend 5% ethanol with gasoline
and 2% biodiesel (or renewable diesel) with
diesel.
Program 2: Biogas
Biogenic sources of methane are called biogas, or
renewable {natural} gas. Biogas can be derived
from anaerobic or aerobic digestion of animal
manure, landfill waste, human or process
wastewater, or biomass gasification. Eligible
production under this program includes biogas
sold or delivered off site, biogas combusted and
converted into electricity to be sold into Alberta’s
interconnected grid electricity system, or waste
heat recovery from the production of the biogas
products or the electricity from biogas products.
Program 3: Wood Pellets
The wood pellets program refers to pelleted heat
sources such as biomass pellets or biocarbon with
a higher heating value of at least 16.5 MJ/kg, and
certified to meet fuel product specifications and
standards accepted by Alberta Energy. This
component of the BPCP program had the fewest
number of producers (three), all of whom are
operating in the forestry sector. These producers
are making use of waste or residue forest fibre to
produce a saleable, readily transportable energy
product.
Program 4: Biomass Combustion
The biomass combustion program recognizes the
opportunities for the generation of electricity,
process heat, or combined heat and power (CHP)
from biomass. Electricity generation capacity
must have a nominal capacity of at least 150 kW
and must not be an approved producer under the
Micro Generation Regulation. Standalone heat
systems must have a minimum capacity of 50,000
GJ per year. This program was taken up largely by
the forestry sector, as well as the agri-processing
sector.
Alberta Energy: http://www.energy.alberta.ca/BioEnergy/pdfs/BPCPGuideline.pdf
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 9
Methodology
All of the companies who were approved in BPCP program intake calls were contacted with a standardized
data request form at the beginning of this project. The data request form asked the BPCP program
applicants for information on their bioenergy project, including: capital cost, production capacity, date of
commissioning, production to end-2014, carbon intensity of the product, number of full time equivalent
(FTE) jobs, project partnerships, and whether the project received other public investment. Where the
commissioning date was prior to January 1, 2007, only data from that date forward was considered in
averages and totals.
The data request was most frequently completed by the person who was responsible for BPCP program
annual reporting. In some cases, BPCP annual reports were submitted in lieu of the data request form; in
other cases, the information was taken from publicly available sources such as company press releases or
industry media outlets. With respect to carbon intensities, the BPCP program companies supplied their
own summations, averages, or calculation of emissions factors. The authors of this report did not attempt
to verify or audit any information submitted, reported or accessed from publicly available sources.
Of the 29 producers listed as BPCP applicants, 25 producers partially completed or fully completed a data
request form, representing a response rate of approximately 86%. Data gaps exist in the wood pellet and
biomass combustion sectors, such that those results are understated or conservative.
Greenhouse Gas Quantification
The greenhouse gas (GHG) analysis in this report is based on production reports and carbon intensities of
bioenergy products at the bioenergy production facilities, as identified by the producers (data was most
commonly derived from former BPCP reporting and production records). The analysis of actual bioenergy
production is abridged since the survey did not capture all existing bioenergy production facilities or
identify all potential future facilities in the province.
The quantification of GHG reductions presented in this report is based on comparing the GHG emissions
of Alberta bioenergy products to baseline energy products (gasoline, diesel, natural gas heat and electrical
power) available in Alberta. The resulting values shows the GHG emission implications of Alberta
bioenergy if it had been used within Alberta to displace traditional energy products. This value is useful as
it gives a view of the emission performance of Alberta’s bioenergy sector on a comparable basis to the
traditional energy products produced and used in the province. This methodology may or may not match
bioenergy GHG reductions reported by the provincial government for two reasons: the first is whether or
not comparable baselines for energy products are used for emission reduction comparisons; the second
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 1 0
is how on-site energy use (electricity and/or heat) at bioenergy facilities is quantified by other
methodologies.
Liquid biofuel GHG emission reductions compare the biofuel carbon intensities to a baseline of gasoline
or diesel, with intensities of 91.6 g CO2e/MJ and 94.7 g CO2e/MJ respectively10. Biogas to electricity and
biomass to electricity sectors compare the bioenergy carbon intensity to a conservative Alberta grid
displacement factor of 0.59 tonnes CO2e/MWh11. Wood pellets and biomass to heat sectors compare the
bioenergy carbon intensity to a natural gas displacement factor of 0.05709 tonnes CO2e/GJ12.
BPCP Program Results
Results: Bioenergy Production Capacity
Bioenergy production capacity, as reported by the responding BPCP grant applicants, is substantial and
grew rapidly under the BPCP program:

Liquid Biofuels: The nameplate annual capacity of the four BPCP commercial biodiesel, ethanol,
and methanol plants operating today is 388 million litres per year. Approximately two thirds of
that volume is renewable diesel (biodiesel), while the balance is primarily ethanol and a smaller
portion of methanol. Only one facility was established prior to the announcement of the 9-Point
Bioenergy Plan. Since January 2007, biofuel facilities have produced more than 580,000,000 litres
of renewable liquid biofuels.

Biogas: Biogas producers have an annual power generating capacity of 183,785 MWh per year.
Some of this capacity is used internally (i.e. within the bioenergy facilities), while the majority is
exported to the provincial grid (the exact split is not known). The three BPCP producers of
commercial biogas have been in operation only since 2012, and since then have generated over
16,105 MWh of renewable power.

Wood Pellets: The three commercial wood pellet producers operating under the BPCP program
produce an estimated 80,800 tonnes per year of a pelleted biomass heating product. Since
January 2007, these operations have produced more than 646,400 tonnes of wood pellets.

Biomass Combustion: Producers operating under this BPCP program sector produce process heat
or electricity, and in some cases both. The seven producers with electricity generation have an
annual generation capacity of 2,105,326 MWh per year, and since January 2007, have produced
10
Sourced from GHGenius, version 3.19
Alberta Environment and Parks, Carbon Offset Emission Factors Handbook, March 2015.
12
Ibid.
11
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more than 10,540,826 MWh of renewable power for the provincial grid. The ten producers who
are using biomass to generate process heat have an annual generation capacity of 13,690,168
GJ/year. Since commencing operations, producers have used biomass to meet more than
79,639,804 GJ of their process heating needs.
Table 3: Production Capacity and Production (2007-2014) of BPCP Producers by Sector.
Liquid Biofuels
Biogas
Wood Pellets
Biomass Combustion - Electricity
Biomass Combustion - Heat
Nameplate Annual Capacity
388,000,000 L/year
183,785 MWh/year
80,800 tonnes/year
2,105,326 MWh/year
13,690,168 GJ/year
Production To Date
580,000,000 L
16,105 MWh
646,400 tonnes
10,540,826 MWh
79,639,805 GJ
Results: Bioenergy Greenhouse Gas Savings:
Across all program types, the use of bioenergy results in substantial greenhouse gas savings compared to
a conventional fossil fuel product:

Liquid Fuels: The carbon intensity of biofuels ranged between 20 – 37 gCO2e/MJ of fuel product
(across all fuel types). Based on the province’s Carbon Offset Emissions Factors Handbook 13
carbon intensity for gasoline and diesel, the use of liquid biofuels results in substantial carbon
emissions reductions on an energy basis. On average, liquid biofuels produced in Alberta are 66%
less greenhouse gas intensive than the equivalent fossil fuel product. Given the production
volumes above and respective fossil fuel product displacement, BPCP producers have generated
greenhouse gas savings of 1,104,724 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents since January 2007.
This greenhouse gas savings is equivalent to taking 232,573 passenger vehicles off the road.

Biogas: A limited number of producers were able to report on the carbon intensity of their
operations. The biogas to electricity projects had carbon intensities ranging from 0.04 to 0.07
tonnes CO2e/MWh. Considering the provincial electricity grid displacement emission factor is
0.59 tonnes CO2e/MWh 14 , biogas power produced in Alberta is an average of 89% less
greenhouse gas intensive than the current Alberta grid. Given the production volumes above and
the respective carbon intensities, biogas to electricity projects have resulted in greenhouse gas
13
Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development: http://esrd.alberta.ca/focus/alberta-and-climatechange/regulating-greenhouse-gas-emissions/alberta-based-offset-credit-system/offset-credit-systemprotocols/documents/CarbonEmissionHandbook-Mar11-2015.pdf
14
Ibid.
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savings of 8,389 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents since January 2007. The biogas electricity
generation capacity is equivalent to powering 23,562 average Alberta homes for one year.

Wood Pellets: Relatively little information was available on wood pellet production in Alberta.
The BPCP producer reports indicated that wood pellets have a very low carbon intensity per GJ,
approximately 0.002 tonnes CO2e/GJ of product. Given an estimated wood pellet production of
646,400 tonnes of pellets and the displacement of natural gas 15 as the conventional heating
product, biomass pellets have resulted in savings of 608,340 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents
since January 2007. The wood pellet production capacity is the equivalent of heating 83,025
average Alberta homes for one year.

Biomass Combustion - Electricity: The biomass to electricity producers had a wide range of
carbon intensities, ranging from 0.01 – 0.05 tonnes of CO2e/MWh. Considering the provincial
electricity grid displacement emissions factor of 0.59 tonnes CO2e/MWh16, the biomass power
producers achieved electricity generation at an average of 95% less greenhouse gas intensive than
the current Alberta grid. Given the production volumes above, biomass to electricity projects have
resulted in greenhouse gas savings of 5,949,532 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents since
January 2007. This biomass to electricity generation capacity is equivalent to powering 269,914
average Alberta homes for one year.

Biomass Combustion – Heat: The biomass to heat producers had a narrower range of carbon
intensities, ranging from 0.01 – 0.02 tonnes of CO2e/GJ. The biomass heat producers achieved
heat generation that is an average of 75% less greenhouse gas intensive than the use of natural
gas. Given the production volumes above, biomass to heat projects have resulted in greenhouse
gas savings of 3,660,099 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents since January 2007. This biomass
to heat production capacity is equivalent to heating 114,085 average Alberta homes for one year.
15
Ibid; the natural gas emissions factor was calculated from the extraction, processing, and combustion factors
provided for natural gas in Alberta to be 0.05709 tonnes CO2e/GJ.
16
Ibid.
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 1 3
Table 4: Greenhouse Gas Savings associated with BPCP Production (2007-2014)
31.63 gCO2e/MJ
0.061 tCO2e/MWh
0.002 tCO2e/GJ
% Reduction over
Business-as-Usual
Scenario
66%
89%
97%
0.0284 tCO2e/MWh
95%
5,949,532
0.0259 tCO2e/GJ
75%
3,660,099
Average Carbon
Intensity
Liquid Biofuels
Biogas
Wood Pellets
Biomass Combustion Electricity
Biomass Combustion Heat
Total
GHG Savings To Date
(since Jan. 2007)
1,104,724
8,389
608,340
11,331,083
The qualifying BPCP producers’ aggregated annual emissions reductions have increased every year since
2010 as more producers came online. Figure 1 below shows the greenhouse gas savings by year, between
2007 and 2014.
2,500,000
Tonnes CO2e
2,000,000
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
0
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Year
Figure 1: Greenhouse Gas savings by year (2007-2014)
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 1 4
The years between 2011 and 2014 saw the greatest increases in greenhouse gas savings. Figure 2 below
shows the cumulative greenhouse gas savings since January 1, 2007. The sharp increase towards the end
of the BPCP program years reflects the delayed uptake of this incentive, as well as the increasing
effectiveness of this incentive towards reducing the provincial greenhouse gas emissions.
12,000,000
TONNES CO2E
10,000,000
8,000,000
6,000,000
4,000,000
2,000,000
0
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
YEAR
Figure 2: Cumulative Greenhouse Gas Emissions Savings (2007-2014)
Greenhouse Gas Results in the Context of the Specified Gas Emitters Regulation (SGER)
This section presents the magnitude of GHG reductions that BPCP producers have achieved in the context
of other GHG reduction mechanisms in the province. Alberta’s Specified Gas Emitter’s Regulation (SGER)
is the main mechanism employed to reduce the GHG emissions in the province. This regulation functions
through mandating “specified emitters” (those who emit over 100,000 tonnes CO 2e per year) to make
intensity reductions of 12% in aggregate at their facility, or else purchase carbon offsets, or else pay into
the Climate Change Emissions Management Fund at $15/tonne (increasing to $30/tonne by 2017).
Some bioenergy producers are generating emissions performance credits at their facilities while other
bioenergy producers have undertaken the generation of carbon offset creations under an approved
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 1 5
government offset protocol. Bioenergy producer offset project types include Biofuel Production and Use,
Anaerobic Digestion, Waste Heat Recovery, or Energy Efficiency.
Table 5 below presents the results from the SGER over the same time frame as the BPCP results. The
SGER results contemplate emissions reductions actually achieved at specified emitters’ facilities, offset
credits submitted under the registry, and emissions reductions from cogeneration in the province. As of
the end of calendar year 2014, the SGER has achieved cumulative reductions of 61 million tonnes (Mt)
through all three mechanisms above.
When considering the emissions reductions in the context of the BPCP producers, it is important to
consider that there may be some double counting associated with the carbon offset credits submitted
since some BPCP producers originate carbon offset tonnes or emissions performance credits. However,
the majority of BPCP producers do not originate carbon offset tonnes.
The emissions reductions at SGER facilities (106 facilities) total 14.57 Mt over the 2007 – 2014 time frame,
while the emissions reductions from the BPCP facilities (25 facilities considered) over the same time frame
total 7.1 Mt. The emissions reductions associated with BPCP production are equivalent to 49% of the
SGER facilities’ emissions reductions. This comparison illuminates the magnitude of voluntary reductions
achieved by BPCP producers when compared to other players subject to climate regulation.
Table 5: Emissions Reductions Achieved by the Specified Gas Emitters Regulation
Compliance
Cycle
2007 (half year)
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Total
Emissions
Reductions at
Facility
(Mt CO2e)
1.60
1.35
0.89
1.02
3.06
1.20
0.45
5.01
14.57
Offset Credits
Submitted
(Mt CO2e)
Recognition of
Cogeneration
(Mt CO2e)
Total Reductions
(Mt CO2e)
0.88
2.68
3.74
3.85
5.40
3.20
2.04
2.55
24.34
1.28
2.58
2.66
2.55
2.51
3.41
4.17
3.11
22.26
3.76
6.61
7.29
7.43
10.96
7.80
6.66
10.66
61.17
Note: Mt = Million Tonnes. Figures are subject to change as a result of auditing and are rounded for presentation purposes.
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 1 6
Results: Economic and Social Impacts
Reported Capital Investment
The Bioenergy Plan stimulated significant investment in bioenergy production capacity in Alberta. In
aggregate, we estimate that more than $601,300,000 has been invested in the bioenergy infrastructure
of qualifying BPCP facilities. Based on reported investments under the 9-Point Bioenergy Plan capital
investment programs (BCMDP, BIDP) of $43,049,831 to the BPCP program recipients who participated in
this study, public sector investment has effectively leveraged a 1:14 multiple of private sector capital.
The liquid biofuels producers have directed approximately $325,000,000 in capital investments into their
four facilities, while the biogas producers have invested approximately $107,000,000 in four facilities.
Incomplete information was provided by wood pellet and biomass combustion producers. However,
based on known project costs, we are able to estimate biomass combustion to electricity capital
investment is likely in the range of $200 – 300 million for the seven facilities combined.
Direct and Indirect Employment
In terms of direct, full time employment following completion of construction and based on continued
operating status, the bioenergy sector has created a significant number of new ‘clean energy’ jobs in
Alberta. However, as many of the bioenergy facilities are expansion projects integrated into existing
agricultural and forestry processing plants, respondents to the survey indicated that precise calculation
of direct employment impacts are difficult to determine. In addition, the upstream indirect and induced
employment impacts on employment in forestry harvesting, agricultural production and fibre or crop
processing needs to be assessed.
Based on the levels of reported output by sectors, as broken down in Table 6 sector by sector, a total of
5,281 full time equivalent (FTE) person-years of employment would have been required to produce the
levels of bioenergy production reported by BPCP survey recipients. This figure is likely an underestimate
as not all survey responses addressed employment, and the survey did not capture all bioenergy
producers.
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 1 7
Table 6: Reported Investments, Public Investment and Direct/Indirect Person-Years of Employment, by sector
Total Investment
Liquid Biofuels
Biogas
Wood Pellets
Biomass Combustion - Electricity
Biomass Combustion - Heat
Total
$325,000,000
$107,000,000
$5,000,000+
$106,800,000
$57,500,000
$601,300,000
Provincial Grant
Contributions
$23,468,800
$11,354,000
$2,100,000
$3,127,031
$3,000,000
$43,049,831
Employment
Required
2,130
345
207
1,132
1,467
5,281
Economic Impact Analysis
The aggregated survey data was used to complete an evaluation of the economic benefits derived from
the development of the bioenergy sector. In addition to direct job creation and capital expenditures, the
bioenergy sector also generates a number of indirect employment opportunities and gross domestic
product (GDP) impacts.
The Alberta Economic Multipliers 2011 17 report was used here to determine economic multiplication
effects of the bioenergy industry. This report makes use of an Input-Output Model developed by Alberta
Treasury Board and Finance that is specific to 253 industries and 481 commodities within the province.
The alternative to measuring economic growth GDP is to measure “total output” that captures final goods
and services as well as the intermediate inputs. This is accomplished with an Input-Output analysis that
captures linkages within the economy, and has a basis in the “System of National Accounts” developed by
Statistics Canada.
Input-Output models contemplate direct impacts (resulting from a direct change in demand within the
industry), indirect impacts (those impacts to supplying industries) and induced impacts (additional
economic consumption from spending wages). An open model considers direct and indirect impacts,
while a closed model considers all three impact types. This research makes use of an open model for
bioenergy production, while it makes use of a closed model for capital expenditures and investments. The
closed model impact for construction used the default Alberta Economic Multiplier values for determining
the portion of inputs that came from Alberta (vs imported). Model choices were made based on
information available from interviews with subject matter experts and bioenergy producers, and on the
degree to which bioenergy operators purchase key inputs (feedstocks) directly from biomass producers.
17
Alberta Treasury
multipliers.html
Board
and
Finance:
http://www.finance.alberta.ca/aboutalberta/archive-economic-
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 1 8
The following tables present the results of the research in four areas: impact on GDP; impact on labour
income, impact in employment required; and the total value of goods for final consumption and export,
and goods consumed in production. Impact on GDP, labour income and total impact calculate the impact
per dollar of output change, while the employment impacts are measured in person-years.
Table 7 below presents the economic multiplier effects of the bioenergy industry in Alberta. It is worth
noting that all values presented below are conservative, since not all bioenergy facilities in the province
are included in the survey compiled for this report. The bioenergy industry in Alberta is a nearly $2 billion
industry, requiring more than five thousand jobs in the operational phase directly and indirectly, with an
impact of more than $300 million on labour income and a nearly $800 million impact on provincial GDP.
Table 7: Economic multiplier effects of the bioenergy sector: current projects (2007 – 2014).
Impact on GDP ($M)
Impact on labour income ($M)
Impact on employment required (person-years)
Total value of goods for consumption or export
and consumed during production ($M)
Operations
Construction
$788
$361
5,281
$175
$121
2,937
$1,857
$402
Although the economic multiplier figures may appear small in relation to other sectors within Alberta,
bioenergy facilities tend to be located in small communities. Specifically in 2011, 72% of bioenergy
production plants in operation or under construction in Canada were in communities with less than 25,000
people and 44% were in communities with less than 5,000 people18. Many of these communities are
struggling to survive due to changing demand for Canadian commodities (such as lumber). As a result,
the addition of 30 to 40 jobs makes a significant contribution to the local community vitality19.
Beyond employment and investment, additional indirect economic and social impacts of the bioenergy
sector include:

Increased waste diversion and decreased municipal and provincial spending on landfills and waste
management strategies;
18
http://www.canbio.ca/upload/documents/canbio-bioenergy-data-study-2011-jan-31a-2012.pdf
19
http://www.canbio.ca/upload/documents/canbio-bioenergy-data-study-2011-jan-31a-2012.pdf
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 1 9

Health benefits associated with burning cleaner fuels like ethanol and biodiesel compared to
gasoline and diesel, respectively;

Decreases in the environmental costs associated with displacing toxic emissions from fossil fuels,
and offsets against the $300M healthcare costs20 associated with coal-fired power emissions in
Alberta; and,

The creation of a value-added market for the agricultural and forestry sectors.
A thriving bioenergy sector can play a key role in diversifying Alberta’s economy, while simultaneously
supporting the province’s energy and environmental goals. Economic diversification helps build resilience
and sustainable prosperity in the presence of fluctuating commodity prices in resource-based sectors.
Future Alberta Bioenergy Projects
Existing BPCP bioenergy producers surveyed for this project were also asked about future projects that
were under construction, proposed, or planned. The survey methodology did not attempt to locate all
bioenergy project developers; the data collected below is therefore only a sample set of current projects.
The results of the survey of future projects points to considerable opportunity to grow the bioenergy
sector through expanded use of existing forestry and agricultural feedstocks, residues and waste materials
in the province. Another interesting trend is that those producers who listed future projects under a given
bioenergy type were often already operating in a different bioenergy type; these results point to
innovation, diversification and value-added manufacturing within the bioenergy sector.
A summary of the proposed projects include:
20

Liquid biofuels: Survey respondents identified plans to add new production or expand production
of ethanol, methanol, and renewable diesel by an additional 84,365,000 L/year of capacity, with
a capital cost estimate of $413,000,000 in capital investments, and would require another 305
FTE jobs each year. (Note that planned projects include ‘next generation’ biofuels that have
considerably higher capital costs per litre of output; hence, the GDP and employment impacts of
the operating phase of these projects will be proportionately lower.)

Biogas: Survey respondents identified additions of biogas to electricity facilities and/or biogas to
heat facilities could add 61.9 MW of nameplate capacity of electrical generation and 18,000
GJ/year of heat. These projects would be worth over $323,000,000, and would require another
272 FTE jobs each year.
http://asthma.ca/pdf/costly-diagnosis.pdf
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 2 0

Biomass Combustion: Innovative integrated heat and electricity projects are planned in this
sector of unreported capacity, with an estimated $62,000,000 of new capital expenditures and
require an additional 14 FTE jobs each year.
Using greenhouse gas emissions reductions averages from the currently existing project types, it is
estimated that the planned bioenergy projects will result in at least 2 million tonnes CO2e reductions per
year. Projected revenues from planned projects were based on the 2014 average wholesale price for
bioenergy products, and are not future discounted.
Table 8: Summary of planned bioenergy expansions by currently producing BPCP producers
Planned Capacity
Planned Investment
Jobs Required
(FTE – annual)
84,365,000 L/year
$ 413,000,000.00
305
Biogas
61.9 MW electricity;
18,000 GJ/yr heat
$ 323,001,000.00
272
Biomass CHP
Process efficiencies
with heat + power
capacity
$ 62,000,000.00
Liquid Fuels
Total
$ 798,001,000.00
14
591
An economic analysis of the future bioenergy projects (similar to the economic impact analysis performed
for the existing bioenergy projects above) is presented in Table 9 below. This table presents the potential
economic multiplication of the projects if they are commissioned as presented in Table 8 above.
Table 9: Economic multiplier effects of the bioenergy sector: planned future projects.
Impact on GDP ($M)
Impact on labour income ($M)
Impact on employment required (person-years)
Total value of goods for consumption or export
and consumed during production ($M)
Operations
$69
$26
413
Construction
$308
$213
2,767
$156
$708
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 2 1
The following key opportunities for bioenergy sector expansion were noted:

The planned projects in the liquid biofuels sector will contribute to Alberta’s increasing demand
for renewable fuels under the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). In Alberta, approximately 300
million litres of ethanol or fuel alcohol, and 110 million litres of renewable diesel are needed per
year in order to fulfill the RFS21, for a combined total of 410 million litres per year. The current
production capacity of BPCP producers is a combined total of 388 million litres; planned capacity
expansion of another 85 million litres (or more) will help Alberta move towards achieving 100%
local production of renewable fuels. The decarbonisation of road transport fuels means there is
an increasing opportunity to expand production and blending of biofuels in both the gasoline and
diesel pools originating from the existing blending infrastructure in Alberta.

Some of the planned future bioenergy projects are examples of the forestry and agri-processing
industries’ efforts to integrate bioenergy production into their operations to achieve cost savings,
or capture new revenue streams. In most cases, these projects will extend the producer’s
influence in their upstream supply chain or downstream value chain, resulting in a more
integrated company, leading to a more economically resilient operation. These projects are often
initially capital intensive, but target low-risk business models with low-cost feedstocks.

Another key opportunity for future bioenergy production is waste diversion from landfills.
Approximately 2,628,000 tonnes per year of municipal solid waste (MSW) biomass per year is
generated in the province, including single and multi-family residential waste (33%); institutional,
commercial and industrial waste (40%), and construction and demolition waste (27%)22. The
diversion of these materials to bioenergy facilities will capture economic value from waste or low
value biomass resources. The use of these materials for energy generation would reduce
provincial carbon emissions, and reduce the number of landfills and lagoons required, which
eventually could lead to a landfill-free province. Landfill materials is an under-utilized resource
at this time, and is growing at approximately the same rate as the population.

Wood pellets for heating fuel is a growing industry across the province, and opportunities exist to
co-fire wood pellets with conventional fuels such as coal, or to use them on their own. While
demand is growing in Alberta, opportunities also exist to export wood pellets to other provinces,
or the European Union.
21
Xiaomei Li and Arifra Sultana, 2015 Draft. Alberta Biofacility Systems – Information Management Systems. Alberta
Innovates – Energy and Environment Solutions.
22
Identification of Opportunities for the Production of Bio-Products from Waste Bio-Mass in Alberta: Final Report.
Prepared by Jacobs Consultancy and the University of Alberta, March 2013. PDF, 213 pages.
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 2 2
Bioenergy Project Financing
Bioenergy funding sources that are presently available to these companies can be categorized as private
capital, commercial loans, venture capital, federal and provincial funding initiatives23. The survey did not
attempt to identify all clean energy project finance alternatives, but did ask respondents to identify public
investment funds for existing (built) and planned projects. Notably, most federal and provincial clean
energy funding mechanisms have terminated or closed applications for new funding.
The federal government funding initiatives include: Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC)
Tech Fund, SDTC NextGen Biofuel Fund (winding down with no new applications), NRCan’s ecoEnergy for
Biofuels Fund (closed in 201024), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada initiatives (EcoAgriculture and Biofuel
Capital Initiative (expired 2012), and Biofuels Opportunities for Producer Initiatives (closed 2008)).
Provincial funding sources in Alberta include the BPCP program, as well as project funding from the
Climate Change Emissions Management Corporation (CCEMC) and Alberta Innovates – Environment and
Energy Solutions. Support from programs such as BCMDP and BIDP, as well as many AB Innovates – Bio
Solutions programs have terminated. Some projects are also able to develop carbon offset credits for sale
in Alberta’s regulatory market.
It is worth noting that the survey respondent’s expansion plans may be conditional on one or more forms
of the support listed above, and are not guaranteed to go ahead on private equity alone. A firm and clear
production incentive system will allow bioenergy producers to use private equity to bridge the funding
gaps. At this stage, alternative and renewable energy projects still require government policy to create
market access as well as create conditions for competitive returns with minimal risk.
23
Xiaomei Li and Arifra Sultana, 2015 Draft. Alberta Biofacility Systems – Information Management Systems. Alberta
Innovates – Energy and Environment Solutions.
24
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/alternative-fuels/programs/ecoenergy-biofuels/3605
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 2 3
Summary
This report surveyed the majority of the bioenergy producers that qualified under the Bioenergy Producer
Credit Program (BPCP) in Alberta to determine the economic and environmental benefits associated with
the bioenergy sector, specifically liquid biofuels, biogas electricity generation, wood pellets, and biomass
combustion (heat and/or power). This report presents the substantial production capacity of those
producers qualifying under the BPCP program, and presents the planned development and expansions
beyond the current installed capacity. In summary, this report presents the potential of the bioenergy
sector to provide low carbon intensity energy services while supporting provincial greenhouse gas
emissions reductions targets and providing jobs. Associated benefits are also discussed, such as the
economic multiplier effect, ability to divert materials formerly considered waste, and support for the
economic resiliency of rural communities.
The use of the bioenergy products, when compared to conventional equivalent energy products, results
in substantial greenhouse gas reductions. Annual reductions have increased over the duration of the BPCP
incentive program to 2,342,618 tonnes CO2e per year in 2014. A cumulative total of 11,331,083 tonnes
of CO2e emissions reductions were achieved between 2007 and 2014. Greenhouse gas emissions are
reduced by an average of 84% compared to the use of equivalent fossil fuels across all bioenergy types.
Bioenergy producers operate largely in rural communities with forestry or agriculture-based economies,
and support rural jobs. To date, production at the BPCP producers’ facilities supports an estimated 5,281
person-years of employment, with an economic multiplier impact of $361 million on labour income, and
$788 million impact on provincial GDP. These industries are crucial for the resilience of the rural
population, as innovative value-added manufacturing in the agriculture and forestry is critical to support
these commodity-based sectors into the future. Bioenergy producers provide an additional benefit:
diversification away from reliance on fossil fuel energy can help decouple the province’s economy from
the volatility of crude oil and gas markets, expand access to capital for new energy sources, enhance
competition in energy markets, and stabilize energy costs for Alberta consumers and industries as a whole.
The bioenergy industry in Alberta is a nearly $2 billion industry, requiring more than five thousand jobs in
the operational phase directly and indirectly, with an impact of more than $300 million on labour income
and a nearly $800 million impact on provincial GDP. The total capital investment in bioenergy facilities
that qualify under BPCP is at least $600 million, considering only those parts of the facility that are
producing energy. Several of the BPCP producers have made use of available grants, and the provincial
funding has been an important source of support, leveraged by the bioenergy producers at an impressive
1:14 ratio with private investments.
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 2 4
This report also presents the results of those producers who indicated plans for future expansion. In total,
the producers surveyed indicated plans to develop capacity for 84,365,000 L/year of liquid biofuels, 65.9
MW of generating capacity, and 18,000 GJ/year of heat, as well as other process efficiencies. Notably,
many producers are diversifying or increasing the types of bioenergy they will produce with their
expansion, leading to more integrated primary industries.
The goals of the 9-Point Bioenergy Plan were to help increase market access and stability for bioenergy
producers, and support the creation of a bio-economy that includes high-value products from bio-refining
of agriculture and forestry biomass. Given the increase in bioenergy production volumes since 2006, and
identified or planned bioenergy expansions, the authors conclude that the initiatives put forth under the
9-Point Bioenergy Plan did help support its stated goals.
Continued viability and growth of the bioenergy sector, however, is not guaranteed to continue in a robust
manner without continued policy support, including some public and/or private funding support. Many
of the bioenergy facilities are not operating at full capacity. Planned investments have not been
committed due to uncertain market access and project returns. At the time of writing, the future policy,
regulatory and competitiveness of bioenergy production in the province of Alberta is uncertain. However,
the potential to make increasing use of biomass in the province is proven, with established environmental
and economic benefits. The bioenergy sector is well poised to contribute to the province of Alberta’s
economic and environmental goals. Renewed policy direction will help unlock the potential within this
sector.
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 2 5
Appendix A: Data Tables
Summary of Existing Projects
Sector
Liquid Fuels
Biogas
Wood Pellets
Biomass CHP electricity
Biomass CHP - heat
Capacity
388,000,000
L/year
183,785
MWh/year
80,800 tonnes /
year
2,105,326
MWh/year
13,690,168
GJ/year
Production to
date
Total Investment
Provincial Grant
Amounts
580,000,000 L
$325,000,000
$23,468,800
16,105 MWh
$107,000,000
$11,354,000
646,400 tonnes
$5,000,000 +
$2,100,000
10,540,826 MWh
$106,800,000 +
$3,127,031
79,639,805 GJ
$57,500,000 +
$3,000,000
$601,300,000
$43,049,831
TOTAL/AVG
Carbon
Intensity
31.63
gCO2e/MJ
0.061
tCO2e/MWh
0.002
tCO2e/GJ
0.0284
tCO2e/MWh
0.0259
tCO2e/GJ
% GHG
Reduction
GHG Savings to date
(tonnes)
Public to private
investment ratio
66%
1,104,724
1:13
89%
8,389
1:9
97%
608,340
N/A
95%
5,949,532
1:34
75%
3,660,099
N/A
84%
11,331,083
1:14
Summary of Future Projects
Liquid Fuels
Biogas
Biomass CHP
TOTAL/AVG
Planned
Capacity
84,365,000
L/year
Planned
Investment
$ 413,000,000.00
61.9 MW
electricity;
$ 323,001,000.00
18,000 GJ/yr heat
4 MW + process
efficiencies
$ 62,000,000.00
$ 798,001,000.00
Note: These tables present raw data aggregated from the time period of January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2014.
Appendix B: Survey Respondents
Call
1
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
N/A
N/A
Applicant
Bioenergy Product
Status
Program 1: Liquid biofuels, such as renewable fuel alcohol and renewable diesel
Alpac Forest Products Inc.
Methanol
Not Producing
BFuel Canada Corporation
Biodiesel
Not Producing
Blue Horizon Bio-Diesel Inc.
Biodiesel
Not Producing
Growing Power Hairy Hill
Intermittent
Ethanol
L.P.
Production
Kyoto Fuels Corporation
Receivership
(now Invigor Biofuels
Biodiesel
(purchased June
Corporation)
2015)
Northern Biodiesel L.P.
Biodiesel
Producing
(now ADM)
Olds College
Biodiesel
Program finished
Permolex Ltd.
Ethanol
Producing
Response Type
See Below
Not included
Not included
Survey Response
Pending
Survey Response
Survey Response
Survey Response
Program 2: Biogas and syngas from manure, landfill and human wastewater; heat and electricity
produced from biogas, syngas and gasification of biomass; electricity and heat from waste heat
recovery
Dapp Power L.P.
Electricity
Producing
Survey Response
Growing Power Hairy Hill
Electricity
Producing
Survey Response
L.P.
Grow the Energy Circle Ltd.
Electricity
Producing
Survey Response
Lethbridge Biogas L.P.
Electricity and Heat
Producing
Survey Response
Mustus Energy Ltd.
Electricity
Future project
No Response
Renew Bioenergy
Electricity and Heat
Future project
Survey Response
Biorefinex
Electricity
Future project
Publicly Available Info.
Program 3: Wood pellets, biocarbon and other commercial biomass pellets
1
1
2
La Crete Sawmills Ltd.
Vanderwell Contractors
(1971) Ltd.
Manning Diversified Forest
Products
Wood Pellets
Producing
Publicly Available Info.
Wood Pellets
Producing
Survey Response
Wood Pellets
Producing
Survey Response
Call
Applicant
Bioenergy Product
Status
Response Type
Program 4: Combustion of biomass, to produce electricity and heat, including cogeneration
1
1
2
2
1
Alpac Forest Products Inc.
Blue Ridge Lumber Inc.
Canadian Forest Products
Ltd.
Cargill Meat Solutions
Daishowa-Marubeni
International Ltd.
Electricity and Heat
Heat
Producing
Producing
Survey Response
Survey Response
Electricity and Heat
Producing
Pending
Electricity and Heat
Producing
Declined Participation
Electricity and Heat
Producing
Survey Response
Heat
Producing
BPCP Reports Submitted
1
Gordon Buchanan
Enterprises Ltd.
1
Hinton Pulp, a Division of
West Fraser Mills Ltd.
Electricity and Heat
Producing
Survey Response
1
Hinton Wood Products, a
Division of West Fraser
Mills Ltd.
Heat
Producing
Survey Response
Heat
Producing
Survey Response
Heat
Producing
Survey Response
Heat
Producing
Survey Response
Electricity
Producing
Survey Response
Electricity
Producing
BPCP Reports Submitted
2
1
1
1
1
Northland Forest Products
Ranger Board, a Division of
West Fraser Mills Ltd.
Sundre Forest Products
Inc.- West Fraser LVL
Valley Power L.P.
Weyerhaeuser Company
Ltd.
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 2 8
Appendix C: Economic Analysis Assumptions
LIQUID BIOFUELS
BIOGAS
WOOD PELLETS
BIOMASS CHP ELECTRICITY
BIOMASS CHP - HEAT
ALL SECTORS
Existing Projects
IMPACT ON GDP ($M)
$364.6
$41.5
$27.7
$152.8
$201.3
$787.9
IMPACT ON LABOUR INCOME ($M)
$104.3
$25.2
$16.8
$92.7
$122.2
$7.3
$3.4
$0.5
$2.2
$1.1
$111.6
$28.6
$17.3
$95.0
$123.3
2000
299
200
1102
1452
130
46
7
30
15
2130
345
207
1132
1467
5,281
$781.1
$105.5
$70.4
$388.2
$511.5
$1,856.6
IMPACT ON GDP ($M)
$97.8
$22.8
$-
$32.0
$24.0
$176.5
IMPACT ON LABOUR INCOME ($M)
$67.5
$15.7
$-
$22.1
$15.3
$120.6
877
205
0
287
1568
2,937
$224.6
$52.4
$-
$73.5
$51.0
$401.6
OPERATIONS
DIRECT SALARIES
TOTAL LABOUR INCOME IMPACT
IMPACT ON EMPLOYMENT REQUIRED (PERSONYEARS)
DIRECT JOBS
TOTAL JOBS IMPACT: EMPLOYMENT
REQUIRED (DIRECT & INDIRECT)
TOTAL VALUE OF GOODS FOR FINAL
CONSUMPTION OR EXPORT, AND GOODS
CONSUMED IN PRODUCTION ($M)
$375.8
CONSTRUCTION
IMPACT ON EMPLOYMENT REQUIRED (PERSON
YEARS)
TOTAL VALUE OF GOODS FOR FINAL
CONSUMPTION OR EXPORT, AND GOODS
CONSUMED IN PRODUCTION ($M)
The operations component of this table is based on ATB Economic Multipliers Report, Table 3: Alberta
Simple Multipliers (Commodities at Basic Prices), using the commodity codes M111B and M11E0. The
construction component of this table is based on ATB Economic Multipliers Report, Table 4: Alberta Simple
Multipliers (Commodities at Purchaser Prices), using the commodity codes M23B0, M3320, M3330,
M334C, M3350, and M541E.
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 2 9
LIQUID BIOFUELS
BIOGAS
WOOD PELLETS
BIOMASS CHP ELECTRICITY
BIOMASS CHP - HEAT
ALL SECTORS
Future Projects
IMPACT ON GDP ($M)
$48.4
$19.2
$-
$1.2
$-
$68.8
IMPACT ON LABOUR INCOME ($M)
$13.8
$11.7
$-
$0.8
$-
DIRECT SALARIES
$2.2
$10.0
TOTAL LABOUR INCOME IMPACT
$16.1
$21.6
$-
$10.7
$-
$48.4
265
139
0
9
0
413
40
133
0
6
0
179
305
272
0
14
0
591
$0.6
$224.6
$-
$0.3
$-
$225.5
IMPACT ON GDP ($M)
$159.6
$124.8
$-
$-
$24.0
$308.3
IMPACT ON LABOUR INCOME ($M)
$110.2
$86.2
$-
$-
$16.5
$212.9
1432
1120
0
0
215
2,767
$366.7
$286.8
$-
$-
$555.0
$708.5
OPERATIONS
IMPACT ON EMPLOYMENT REQUIRED (PERSONYEARS)
DIRECT JOBS
TOTAL JOBS IMPSCT (DIRECT & INDIRECT)
TOTAL VALUE OF GOODS FOR FINAL
CONSUMPTION OR EXPORT, AND GOODS
CONSUMED IN PRODUCTION ($M)
$10.0
CONSTRUCTION
IMPACT ON EMPLOYMENT REQUIRED (PERSON
YEARS)
TOTAL VALUE OF GOODS FOR FINAL
CONSUMPTION OR EXPORT, AND GOODS
CONSUMED IN PRODUCTION ($M)
The operations component of this table is based on ATB Economic Multipliers Report, Table 3: Alberta
Simple Multipliers (Commodities at Basic Prices), using the commodity codes M111B and M11E0. The
construction component of this table is based on ATB Economic Multipliers Report, Table 4: Alberta Simple
Multipliers (Commodities at Purchaser Prices), using the commodity codes M23B0, M3320, M3330,
M334C, M3350, and M541E.
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Appendix D: Additional Infographics
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E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 3 2
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 3 3
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 3 4
E N D - T O - E N D S U S T AI N AB I L I T Y | 3 5